Riding Floor Cleaning Machines Having Intelligent Systems, Associated Sub-Assemblies Incorporating Intelligent Systems, and Associated Methods of Use

ABSTRACT

A riding floor cleaning machine having an intelligent system including a main frame sub-assembly, a steering and drive wheel sub-assembly, a solution tank sub-assembly, a recovery tank sub-assembly, a recovery tank cover sub-assembly, a control panel sub-assembly, a main controller sub-assembly, a seat and detergent system sub-assembly, a battery sub-assembly, a scrub head sub-assembly, a scrub head lift sub-assembly, a squeegee sub-assembly, a solution and detergent sub-assembly, and an intelligent system associated with at least one of the above-identified sub-assemblies, wherein the intelligent system selectively gathers, obtains, monitors, stores, records, and/or analyzes data associated with components of the riding floor cleaning machine, and controllably communicates and/or disseminates such data with another system and/or user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/026,716, filed Jul. 3, 2018, entitled “Riding Floor Cleaning MachinesHaving Intelligent Systems, Associated Sub-Assemblies IncorporatingIntelligent Systems, And Associated Methods Of Use,” which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/667,507, filed Mar. 24,2015, entitled “Riding Floor Cleaning Machines Having IntelligentSystems, Associated Sub-Assemblies Incorporating Intelligent Systems,And Associated Methods Of Use,” now U.S. Pat. No. 10,010,230, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/969,559,filed Mar. 24, 2014, entitled “Floor Cleaning Machine Assemblies HavingIntelligent Systems, Associated Sub-Assemblies Incorporating IntelligentSystems, And Associated Methods Of Use,” which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety—including all references andappendices cited therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to riding floor cleaningmachines and, more particularly, to riding floor cleaning machineshaving intelligent systems that have the capacity to selectively gather,obtain, monitor, store, record, and analyze data associated withcomponents of the riding floor cleaning machines and controllablycommunicate and disseminate such data with other systems and users. Thepresent invention further relates to riding floor cleaning machinesub-assemblies including, but not limited to, secondary electrochemicalcells having intelligent systems, as well as associated methods forusing the same.

2. Background Art

Floor cleaning machines and associated systems have been known in theart for years and are the subject of a plurality of patents and/orpublications, including: U.S. Pat. No. 8,584,294 entitled “Floor CleanerScrub Head Having a Movable Disc Scrub Member,” U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,114entitled “Floor Sweeping and Scrubbing Machine,” U.S. Pat. No. 7,269,877entitled “Floor Care Appliance with Network Connectivity,” U.S. Pat. No.7,199,711 entitled “Mobile Floor Cleaner Data Communication,” U.S. Pat.No. 5,265,300 entitled “Floor Scrubber,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,720entitled “Mobile Surface Cleaning Machine,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,955entitled “Combined Sweeper and Scrubber,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,684entitled “Cleaning Vehicles,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,676 entitled“Combination Sweeping and Scrubbing System and Method,” U.S. Pat. No.4,716,621 entitled “Floor and Bounded Surface Sweeper Machine,” U.S.Pat. No. 4,667,364 entitled “Floor-Cleaning Machine,” U.S. Pat. No.4,580,313 entitled “Walk Behind Floor Maintenance Machine,” and EuropeanPatent Number 2,628,427 A2 entitled “Suction Device with a SuctionDevice Transmitter and External Communication Device Thereof,”—all ofwhich are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entiretyincluding all references cited therein.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,584,294 appears to disclose a scrub head that includes afirst disc scrub member, a movable support having first and secondpositions, and a movable disc scrub member. The first disc scrub memberis rotatable about a first vertical axis. The movable disc scrub memberis rotatable about a second vertical axis and is connected to themovable support. The movable disc scrub member is configured to moverelative to the first disc scrub member along first and secondorthogonal axes of a horizontal plane, which is transverse to the firstand second vertical axes, between first and second positionsrespectively corresponding to the first and second positions of themovable support.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,114 appears to disclose a hard floor sweeping andscrubbing machine which includes a mobile body comprising a framesupported on wheels for travel over a surface, a motorized cleaninghead, a waste hopper, a hopper lift and a vacuum squeegee. The motorizedcleaning head is attached to the mobile body and is configured toperform sweeping and scrubbing operations on the surface. The wastehopper is positioned on a rear side of the cleaning head and isconfigured to receive waste discharged from the cleaning head during thesurface sweeping operations. The hopper lift is configured to raise thewaste hopper from an operating position, in which the waste hopper ispositioned adjacent the cleaning head, to a dumping position, in whichthe waste hopper is positioned to dump waste collected in the wastehopper. In one embodiment, the vacuum squeegee is attached to the hopperlift. Also disclosed is a method of cleaning a surface using embodimentsof the machine.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,269,877 appears to disclose a floor care appliance thatincludes a microprocessor based control arrangement having acommunications port for connection to a computer. Once connected to acomputer, software updates for the microprocessor may be downloaded ordiagnostic information stored in the microprocessor's memory may beuploaded for diagnostic purposes. In one embodiment of the invention,the communication port is configured to be connected to a local computerfor possible further connection to a remote computer over a computer ortelephone network. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, thecommunication port is configured to connect to and dial up a remotecomputer over a telephone network.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,199,711 appears to disclose a method of communicatingdata from a mobile floor cleaner to a remote receiver a datacommunication is initiated from a communicator of the mobile floorcleaner to the remote receiver and data is communicated to the remotereceiver with the communicator.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,300 appears to disclose a floor scrubbing vehiclehaving scrub brushes mounted at the rear of the vehicle by a mechanismwhich allows both the brushes and squeegee to extend and retracttransversely with respect to the vehicle. The mechanism is resilient,and allows the scrub brushes and squeegee to automatically retractinward upon contact with an immovable obstacle, and also causesautomatic extension of the brushes and squeegee following passage of theobstacle. The scrub brushes and squeegee are mounted in a scrubbing podframe which can rotate about a vertical axis with respect to the vehicleto prevent damage, or to facilitate access for repair and maintenance.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,720 appears to disclose a surface cleaning machineas a combination sweeping-scrubbing apparatus including a sweeping brushfor sweeping debris into a hopper and a one piece squeegee for pickingup solution after four staggered, disc brushes. The squeegee is U-shapedhaving a longitudinal extent greater than that of the disc brusheslocated intermediate the legs of the squeegee. The drive wheel islocated in front of the disc brushes, the squeegee and the solutionapplying means. The squeegee is raised and lowered relative to the frameby an actuator which pivots an L-shaped member, the leg of which abutsagainst and pivots a lever interconnected to the mount or the squeegeeby a turnbuckle. The hopper is raised and simultaneously tilted by asingle cylinder which pivots the upper arm of a parallelogram includinga lower arm. The hopper is pivotally mounted to an end of a hopper arm,the opposite end of which is pivotally mounted to the end of the upperarm, and is further pivotally mounted to the end of the lower arm. Thehopper is simultaneously tilted at a generally constant dump angle asthe hopper is raised from a lowered position in a horizontal debriscollecting condition to a raised position with the hopper in a dumpingcondition.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,955 appears to disclose a combination floor sweepingand scrubbing machine which is as compact and maneuverable as anequivalent machine which only sweeps or scrubs, while retaining typicalhopper and tank volumes. Its operator can change it from sweeping toscrubbing or vice versa at any time by moving a few controls and withoutadding or removing any parts. It has one debris hopper and onehorizontal cylindrical rotating brush and they function in both thesweeping and scrubbing modes. A vacuum system supplies dust controlduring sweeping and vacuum pickup of dirty solution during scrubbing. Inthe scrubbing mode a single tank supplies scrubbing solution andreceives dirty solution picked up from the floor.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,684 appears to disclose a self-propelled sweepervehicle that has front steerable wheels mounted on a centrally pivotedaxle assembly which also carries the nozzle and brush gear whereby theseassemblies are steered in unison with the vehicle. The nozzle front edgeis convex and promotes non-turbulent air intake. The nozzle is formed asa hollow rotationally molded structure of a plastics material havinginherent structural strength and stiffness. The brush gear is mounted onlinkages comprising inner and outer portions pivotally connected forfolding movement to resiliently yield under impact. The brush covers areformed as hollow plastics moldings and part of the brush supportstructure.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,676 appears to disclose a machine and/or system aswell as a method of operation and an assembly whereby a sweeping unitmay be quickly converted into a scrubbing unit and vice versa. Thesystem is capable of operation either in a sweeping mode or a scrubbingmode and is also adaptable to include a vacuum wand assembly when theunit is to be operated in its sweeping mode.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,621 appears to disclose a sweeper machine for floorsand bounded surfaces, e.g. the floors of workshops and warehouses,courtyards, having engaged with the machine frame, a removable containerfor collecting the swept trash supported by pivotally-mounted guidesengaged by swivel members extending in a crosswise direction to themachine's longitudinal axis and cooperating to define a small frameintervening sealingly between a suction assembly in the frame and asuction mouth of the container, and with snap-action hook-up elementsprovided between the frame and the pivotally mounted guides and springmembers projecting from the frame and acting by spring contact on thecontainer.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,364 appears to disclose a riding floor cleaningmachine which the fresh water and product dosing operation is controlledas a function of the operation of the driving motor such that the dosingper unit of floor area is maintained at an operator-controllable level.Improved economy of water, product and energy is achieved.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,313 appears to disclose a walk behind floormaintenance machine that includes a filter and filter housing that maybe pivoted away to permit removal of the debris hopper. The filter maybe cleaned by vibrating the filter and filter housing. Dust vibratedfrom the filter slides into the hopper. The hopper may be manuallyremoved for emptying.

European Patent Number 2,628,427 A2 appears to disclose a device whichhas a suction motor and a dust collecting chamber arranged in a suctionhousing. A suction device-communication unit communicates with externalcommunication units that form a component of a hand-held power tool. Theexternal communication units are operated at a distance to the housingin connection with the tool. The suction device-communication unitincludes a suction device transmitter for transmitting a control signaland/or a status signal to the external communication units. Anindependent claim is also included for an external communication unitfor cooperation with a hand-held power tool.

While the above-identified patents and/or publications do appear todisclose various riding floor cleaning machines and associated systems,their configurations remain non-desirous, incompatible, and/orproblematic inasmuch as, among other things, none of theabove-identified riding floor cleaning machines and associated systemsappear to include assemblies having intelligent systems that have thecapacity to selectively gather, obtain, monitor, store, record, andanalyze data associated with components of the riding floor cleaningmachines and controllably communicate and disseminate such data withother systems and users. Furthermore, none of the above-identifiedriding floor cleaning machines and associated systems appear to utilizeand/or be compatible with intelligent systems associated with secondaryelectrochemical cell sub-assemblies.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide ridingfloor cleaning machines having intelligent systems that have thecapacity to selectively gather, obtain, monitor, store, record, andanalyze data associated with components of the riding floor cleaningmachines and controllably communicate and disseminate such data withother systems and users, as well as provide riding floor cleaningmachines that are compatible with secondary electrochemical cells havingintelligent systems associated therewith.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent inlight of the present specification, claims, and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by theaccompanying figures. It will be understood that the figures are notnecessarily to scale and that details not necessary for an understandingof the invention or that render other details difficult to perceive maybe omitted. It will be further understood that the invention is notnecessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 of the drawings is a right front perspective view of a ridingfloor cleaning machine fabricated in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 of the drawings is a left front perspective view of a ridingfloor cleaning machine fabricated in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 of the drawings is a rear perspective view of a riding floorcleaning machine fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a main framesub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a steering anddrive wheel sub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a solution tanksub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a recovery tanksub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a recovery tankcover sub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a control panelsub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a maincontroller sub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 11 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a seat anddetergent system sub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 12 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a batterysub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 13 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a scrub headsub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 14 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a scrub headlift sub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 15 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a squeegeesub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 16 of the drawings is an exploded isometric view of a solution anddetergent sub-assembly fabricated in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 17 of the drawings is a wiring diagram of a riding floor cleaningmachine fabricated in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 18 of the drawings is a schematic of a circuit diagram of a ridingfloor cleaning machine fabricated in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 19 of the drawings is an illustrative example of a network systemof riding floor cleaning machines;

FIG. 20 of the drawings is a flow chart of a method in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 21 of the drawings is a flow chart of another method in accordancewith the present invention; and

FIG. 22 of the drawings is a diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to, in one embodiment, a riding floorcleaning machine having an intelligent system comprising, consistingessentially of, and/or consisting of: (1) a main frame sub-assembly; (2)a steering and drive wheel sub-assembly; (3) a solution tanksub-assembly; (4) a recovery tank sub-assembly; (5) a recovery tankcover sub-assembly; (6) a control panel sub-assembly; (7) a maincontroller sub-assembly; (8) a seat and detergent system sub-assembly;(9) a battery sub-assembly; (10) a scrub head sub-assembly; (11) a scrubhead lift sub-assembly; (12) a squeegee sub-assembly; (13) a solutionand detergent sub-assembly; and (14) an intelligent system associatedwith at least one of the above-identified sub-assemblies, wherein theintelligent system at least one of selectively gathers, obtains,monitors, stores, records, and analyzes data associated with componentsof the riding floor cleaning machine, and at least one of controllablycommunicates and disseminates such data with at least one of anothersystem and user.

The present invention is also directed to, in one embodiment, asub-assembly having an intelligent system for a riding floor cleaningmachine, comprising, consisting essentially of, and/or consisting of:(1) a primary and/or secondary electrochemical cell; and (2) anintelligent system, wherein the intelligent system at least one ofselectively gathers, obtains, monitors, stores, records, and analyzesdata associated with components of the riding floor cleaning machine,and at least one of controllably communicates and disseminates such datawith at least one of another system and user.

The present invention is additionally directed to, in one embodiment, amethod for using an intelligent system with a riding floor cleaningmachine assembly comprising, consisting essentially of, and/orconsisting of the steps of: (1) providing a riding floor cleaningmachine assembly having an intelligent system; (2) selectivelygathering, obtaining, monitoring, storing, recording, and/or analyzingdata associated with components of the riding floor cleaning machine;and (3) controllably communicating and/or disseminating data with atleast one of another system and user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will be described herein indetail, one or more specific embodiments with the understanding that thepresent disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of theprinciples of the invention and is not intended to limit the inventionto the embodiments illustrated.

It will be understood that like or analogous elements and/or components,referred to herein, may be identified throughout the drawings with likereference characters.

It will be further understood that FIGS. 1-22 are merely representationsand/or illustrations of riding floor cleaning machines and theirassociated sub-assemblies. As such, some of the components may bedistorted from their actual scale for pictorial clarity and/or imageenhancement.

Unless otherwise specified, the machines, sub-assemblies, componentsand/or parts provided herein below are commercially available fromInternational Cleaning Equipment (ICE) (Guangdong, China) or asubsidiary thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, and to FIGS. 1-16 in particular,perspective views of riding floor cleaning machine 100 having anintelligent system are shown. Preferably, riding floor cleaning machine100 comprises main frame sub-assembly 101 (FIG. 4), steering and drivewheel sub-assembly 102 (FIG. 5), solution tank sub-assembly 103 (FIG.6), recovery tank sub-assembly 104 (FIG. 7), recovery tank coversub-assembly 105 (FIG. 8), control panel sub-assembly 106 (FIG. 9), maincontroller sub-assembly 107 (FIG. 10), seat and detergent systemsub-assembly 108 (FIG. 11), battery sub-assembly 109 (FIG. 12), scrubhead sub-assembly 110 (FIG. 13), scrub head lift sub-assembly 111 (FIG.14), squeegee sub-assembly 112 (FIG. 15), solution and detergentsub-assembly 113 (FIG. 16) and, as will be discussed in greater detailherein below, an intelligent system associated with one or more of theabove-identified sub-assemblies, wherein the intelligent systemselectively gathers, obtains, monitors, stores, records, and/or analyzesdata associated with components of riding floor cleaning machine 100,and controllably communicates and/or disseminates such data with anothersystem and/or user.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, main frame sub-assembly 101 generally comprises welded mainframe 120, rubber grommets 122, tires 124, wheel caps 126, standbrackets 128, horn 130 and static strap 132.

As is also shown in FIG. 4, main frame sub-assembly 101 utilizes aplurality of conventional bolts 20, nuts 21, washers 22, clamps 26,screws 36 and retaining rings 65 for assembly and use of main framesub-assembly 101.

Referring now to FIG. 5, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, steering and drive wheel sub-assembly 102 generally comprisessteering wheel 134, bellows 136, steering wheel shaft 138, u-joint 140,steering support bracket 142, brake pedal accelerator 144, steer controlassembly 146 and drive wheel 148.

As is also shown in FIG. 5, steering and drive wheel sub-assembly 102utilizes a plurality of conventional bolts 20, nuts 21, washers 22,clamps 26, bearings 31, screws 36 and keys 67 for assembly and use ofsteering and drive wheel sub-assembly 102.

Referring now to FIG. 6, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, solution tank sub-assembly 103 generally comprises solutiontank 150, non-slip mat 152, elbow 154, sealing 156, solution levelsensor 158, solution tank cap 160, recovery tank support arm 162, hoseassembly 164, strainer adapter assembly 166 and strainer assembly 168.

As is also shown in FIG. 6, solution tank sub-assembly 103 utilizes aplurality of conventional bolts 20, nuts 21, washers 22, clamps 26,brackets 30, sleeves 32, plates 34 and screws 36 for assembly and use ofsolution tank sub-assembly 103.

Referring now to FIG. 7, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, recovery tank sub-assembly 104 generally comprises solutionlevel sensor 170, recovery tank 172, dust filter 174, welded hinge 176,leaf hinge 178, drain hose 180, hinge assembly 182, solution tank cover184, sealing strip 186, recovery tank support arm 188 and rubber spacer190.

As is also shown in FIG. 7, recovery tank sub-assembly 104 utilizes aplurality of conventional bolts 20, nuts 21, washers 22, clamps 26,brackets 30, sleeves 32, springs 33, screws 36, logos 38 and spacers 49for assembly and use of recovery tank sub-assembly 104.

Referring now to FIG. 8, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, recovery tank cover sub-assembly 105 generally comprisescaution light 192, recovery tank cover 194, vacuum motor 196, vacuumhose 198, vacuum hose adapter 200, recovery tank cover support 202,sealing strip 204, isolator 206, insulation 208 and fan seal 210.

As is also shown in FIG. 8, recovery tank cover sub-assembly 105utilizes a plurality of conventional bolts 20, nuts 21, washers 22,clamps 26, brackets 30, sleeves 32, plates 34, screws 36, gaskets 47 andspacers 49 for assembly and use of recovery tank cover sub-assembly 105.

Referring now to FIG. 9, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, control panel sub-assembly 106 generally comprises controlpanel decal 212, control panel PCB 214, control housing 216, LED light218, LED light base 220, LED light cover 222, switch panel decal 224,main key switch 226, emergency stop switch 228 and rocker switch 230.

As is also shown in FIG. 9, control panel sub-assembly 106 utilizes aplurality of conventional bolts 20, washers 22, plates 34, screws 36,logos 38 and gaskets 47 for assembly and use of control panelsub-assembly 106.

Referring now to FIG. 10, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, main controller sub-assembly 107 generally comprises fuse232, insulator 234, main controller 236, rubber grommet 238, microswitch 240, connector 242 and on board battery charger 244.

As is also shown in FIG. 10, main controller sub-assembly 107 utilizes aplurality of conventional bolts 20, nuts 21, washers 22, brackets 30 andscrews 36 for assembly and use of main controller sub-assembly 107.

Referring now to FIG. 11, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, seat and detergent system sub-assembly 108 generallycomprises cargo net 246, seat support 248, rubber grommet 250, seat 252,cup holder 254, key adaptor 256, lock insert 258, detergent bottle 260,bottle cap 262, detergent bottle box 264, pump 266, one way valve 268and fitting 270.

As is also shown in FIG. 11, seat and detergent system sub-assembly 108utilizes a plurality of conventional bolts 20, nuts 21, washers 22,clamps 26, brackets 30, sleeves 32, springs 33, plates 34, screws 36 andspacers 49 for assembly and use of seat and detergent systemsub-assembly 108.

Referring now to FIG. 12, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, battery sub-assembly 109 generally comprises battery box 272,rear battery support 274, battery 276, battery tray 278, front batterysupport 280, red battery connect cable 282, connector 284, first blackbattery connect cable 286, second black battery connect cable 288, firstcover 290, second cover 292, rivet 294, hinge assembly 296 and thirdcover 298.

As is also shown in FIG. 12, battery sub-assembly 109 utilizes aplurality of conventional bolts 20, washers 22, plates 34 and screws 36for assembly and use of battery sub-assembly 109.

In accordance with the present invention, battery 276 preferablycomprises a secondary electrochemical cell, such as a lead acid, NiCad,NiMH, and/or lithium-ion battery. Preferred examples of lithium-ionbatteries include lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO₂) batteries, lithiummanganese oxide (LiMn₂O₄) batteries, lithium nickel manganese cobaltoxide (LiNiMnCoO₂) batteries, lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO) batteries,lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (LiNiCoAlO₂) batteries, and lithiumtitanate (Li₄Ti₅O₁₂) batteries. In one embodiment each battery 276comprises an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, wherein at least oneof the anode, cathode, and electrolyte are monitored by the intelligentsystem of the riding floor cleaning machine's intelligent system. Suchmonitoring comprises evaluating the structural integrity of the anode,the cathode, and/or the electrolyte, and/or the cycle life of eachcomponent—including electrolyte level.

Referring now to FIG. 13, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, scrub head sub-assembly 110 generally comprises brush motors300, keys 302, scrub head housing 304, side skirt blades 306, brushdrive hubs 308, clutches 310, brushes 312, center locks 314, pad drivers316, skirt 318 and protective wheel 320.

As is also shown in FIG. 13, scrub head sub-assembly 110 utilizes aplurality of conventional bolts 20, nuts 21, washers 22, knobs 25,clamps 26, brackets 30, sleeves 32 and spacers 49 for assembly and useof scrub head sub-assembly 110.

Referring now to FIG. 14, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, scrub head lift sub-assembly 111 generally comprises linearactuator 322 and scrub head lifting arm 324.

As is also shown in FIG. 14, scrub head lift sub-assembly 111 utilizes aplurality of conventional bolts 20, nuts 21, washers 22, bushings 29,brackets 30, sleeves 32, springs 33, plates 34, cotters 53 and pins 55for assembly and use of scrub head lift sub-assembly 111.

Referring now to FIG. 15, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, squeegee sub-assembly 112 generally comprises linear actuator326, vacuum hose 328, caster 330, squeegee lifting arm 332, rear blade334, squeegee hosing 336, squeegee retainer 338, front blade 340,protective wheels 342 and adapter 344.

As is also shown in FIG. 15, squeegee sub-assembly 112 utilizes aplurality of conventional bolts 20, nuts 21, washers 22, knobs 25,clamps 26, bushings 29, brackets 30, sleeves 32, springs 33, screws 36and pins 55 for assembly and use of squeegee sub-assembly 112.

Referring now to FIG. 16, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, solution and detergent sub-assembly 113 generally comprisessolenoid valve 346, pump 348, plastic fitting 350, fitting 352, and oneway valve 354.

As is also shown in FIG. 16, solution and detergent sub-assembly 113utilizes a plurality of conventional washers 22, clamps 26, ties 27,screws 36, elbows 45 and tubing 58 for assembly and use of solution anddetergent sub-assembly 113.

Referring now to FIG. 17, a wiring diagram for riding floor cleaningmachine 100 is provided.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a sub-assembly having anintelligent system for a riding floor cleaning machine is provided andgenerally comprises a primary and/or secondary electrochemical cell, andan intelligent system, wherein the intelligent system at least one ofselectively gathers, obtains, monitors, stores, records, and analyzesdata associated with components of the riding floor cleaning machine,and at least one of controllably communicates and disseminates such datawith at least one of another system and user.

In accordance with the present invention, a method for using anintelligent system with a riding floor cleaning machine is provided andgenerally, comprises the following steps: (1) providing a riding floorcleaning machine having an intelligent system; (2) selectivelygathering, obtaining, monitoring, storing, recording, and/or analyzingdata associated with components of the riding floor cleaning machine;and (3) controllably communicating and/or disseminating data with atleast one of another system and user. In particular and as iscollectively shown in FIGS. 1-22, an intelligent system enables a ridingfloor cleaning machine to transmit data obtained from the riding floorcleaning machine assembly to, for example, a storage or data server,which, in turn, transmits selected data to, for example, an end user viaemail and/or text messaging.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of an example circuit diagram 500 of ariding floor cleaning machine assembly of the present technology.Generally, the circuit diagram 500 includes a control panel 501 thatprovides a user interface for controlling various components andfeatures of the machine assembly, a PCB (scrubber main controller) 502,which in turn includes a traction motor interface 504, a batteryinterface 506, a brush motor interface 508, a vacuum motor interface510. The circuit 500 also comprises a traction speed and breakcontroller 512, a scrub head lifting actuator 514, a squeegee headlifting actuator 516, a power key switch 518, a seat switch 520, a brakecoil 522, one or more charger interfaces 524, and an emergency switch526.

The PCB 502 (e.g., controller) functions as a main controller board forcontrolling and communicating with various components of the ridingfloor cleaning machine assembly. Users utilize the control panel 501 tointeract with and control the various features of the assembly such asthe brush and squeegee. In some embodiments, the PCB 502 can include oneor more features of an example computing machine illustrated anddescribed with respect to FIG. 22. The PCB 502 includes at least aprocessor and a memory for storing executable instructions. Theprocessor can execute the instructions to provide any of the datasensing, gathering, processing, transforming, and/or communicationfeatures described herein. In yet other embodiments, an intelligentsystem can include the PCB 502 that is configured to remotelyactivate/deactivate (e.g., turn on and off) riding floor cleaningmachine 100 via, for example, power key switch 518 or other circuitimplementation.

It will be understood that the PCB 502 can be referred to generally asan intelligent system or component that is configured to provide datagathering, recording, logging, transmitting, and analysisfunctionalities. In other embodiments, an intelligent system can includethe PCB 502 that cooperates with a management server, where the PCB 502gathers and collects operational data for the riding floor cleaningmachine assembly and the management server performs data analysisfunctionalities on the operational data.

Generally the PCB 502 is communicatively coupled to each of the othercomponents of the circuit described above, either directly orindirectly. For example, the PCB 502 directly communicates with thebatteries of the riding floor cleaning machine assembly, through thebattery interface 506, while the PCB 502 indirectly couples with thetraction speed and control pedal through the traction speed and controlpedal controller 512.

The traction motor interface 504 allows the PCB 502 to communicate witha traction motor that drives the riding floor cleaning machine assembly.The PCB 502 can also collect information about the operationalcharacteristics of the traction motor through the traction motorinterface 504. The battery interface 506 allows for the PCB 502 tocommunicate with the Ion batteries to receive feedback including chargelevel, average usage and current draw, as well as other battery relatedmetrics.

The one or more charger interfaces 524 allows the PCB 502 to determinecharging metrics such as average charging times for the battery of theassembly.

The main power key switch 518 is controlled by the PCB 502 to allow theriding floor cleaning machine assembly to be turned on and off. Keymetrics around the main power key switch 518 can include start and stoptimes. The PCB 502 can time stamp each operation such as device on anddevice off instances and record these metrics for statistical orreporting purposes. Other statistics could include time duration betweendevice on and device off operations, which indicate duration of usagefor the riding floor cleaning machine assembly.

A seat switch 520 is controlled by the PCB 502 to provide various seatconfigurations and/or seat safety features, such as engagement ordisengagement of the motors when the seat of the assembly is unoccupied.

The brush motor interface 508 can be controlled by the PCB 502 toselectively control engagement or disengagement of the brush motor ofthe riding floor cleaning machine assembly. The PCB 502 can track brushmotor usage time by measuring engagement and disengagement of the brushmotor. These statistics can be compared against device on and device offperiods to determine how long the brush is engaged compared to theoverall time frame of device on periods. By way of example, the PCB 502can measure that the device is in a device on state for two hours, butthe brush motor was only in use for 15 minutes.

The vacuum motor interface 510 can be utilized by the PCB 502 to controloperation of the vacuum motor 44 of the riding floor cleaning machineassembly.

The emergency control switch 526 is controlled by the PCB 502 to controloperation of an emergency switch of the riding floor cleaning machineassembly. A user can stop operation of the riding floor cleaning machineassembly by actuating the emergency switch. Actuation of the emergencyswitch is sensed by the PCB 502, causing the PCB 502 to selectively stopthe brush motor 300 and vacuum motor 44.

In one embodiment, the emergency control switch 526 can be used toselectively disrupt power provided to the traction motor through thetraction motor interface 504.

The PCB 502 can also control the brush motor 184 and vacuum motor 44,through their respective interfaces, such as brush motor interface 508and vacuum motor interface 510. As with other components, the PCB 502can be configured to sense and collect operational details of thesedevices.

The scrub head lifting actuator 514 and the squeegee lifting actuator516 are also controlled by the PCB 502 in response to user commandsreceived at the control panel 501 to raise the scrub head or squeegee,respectively. The PCB 502 can also control the scrub head and/orsqueegee in response to other system feedback such as activation of theemergency stop switch 526. For example, if the emergency stop switch 526is engaged, the PCB 502 can automatically engage the scrub head orsqueegee to lift using the scrub head lifting actuator 514 and thesqueegee lifting actuator 516.

The break coil 522 can be coupled to the emergency stop switch 526. Ifthe emergency stop switch 526 is engaged, the break coil 522 isactivated to bring the assembly to a stop.

The traction speed and brake control pedal controller 512 is configuredto receive signals from a traction speed and brake control pedal toselectively cause the assembly to translate at various speeds throughmovement of the traction speed and brake control pedal. The PCB 502 canreceive signals from the traction speed and brake control pedalcontroller 512 so as to track and monitor the movement and translationof the assembly.

In some embodiments, the PCB 502 communicates within an intelligentsystem 600, illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 19. The PCB 502 caninclude any wired or wireless means of communication such as a wirelesscommunications interface. The wireless communications interface canutilize any protocol for network communication including short rangeprotocols such as Bluetooth, near field communications (NFC), infra-red,and so forth. The wireless communications interface can also includeutilize Wi-Fi, a cellular network, or other similar networks using otherprotocols.

FIG. 19 illustrates an example network system of devices. The networkedsystem 600 comprises a plurality of devices 605, 610, and 615, which canall communicatively couple with a management server 620 over a network625.

Each of the plurality of devices 605-615 can be collocated in the samefacility, such as a building, factory, school, or other location. Inother embodiments, one or more (or all) plurality of devices 605-615 canbe remotely located from one another.

Each of the plurality of devices 605-615 can gather and report itsoperational metrics to the management server 620 over the network 625,as will be discussed in greater detail below.

Exemplary networks, such as network 625 may include any one or more of,for instance, a local intranet, a PAN (Personal Area Network), a LAN(Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a MAN (MetropolitanArea Network), a virtual private network (VPN), a storage area network(SAN), a frame relay connection, an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN)connection, a synchronous optical network (SONET) connection, a digitalT1, T3, E1 or E3 line, Digital Data Service (DDS) connection, DSL(Digital Subscriber Line) connection, an Ethernet connection, an ISDN(Integrated Services Digital Network) line, a dial-up port such as aV.90, V.34 or V.34bis analog modem connection, a cable modem, an ATM(Asynchronous Transfer Mode) connection, or an FDDI (Fiber DistributedData Interface) or CDDI (Copper Distributed Data Interface) connection.Furthermore, communications may also include links to any of a varietyof wireless networks, including 4GLTE (Long Term Evolution), 3GPP (3GRadio Access Network), WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), GPRS(General Packet Radio Service), GSM (Global System for MobileCommunication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) or TDMA (TimeDivision Multiple Access), cellular phone networks, GPS (GlobalPositioning System), CDPD (cellular digital packet data), RIM (Researchin Motion, Limited) duplex paging network, Bluetooth radio, or an IEEE802.11-based radio frequency network. The network 620 can furtherinclude or interface with any one or more of an RS-232 serialconnection, an IEEE-1394 (Fire wire) connection, a Fiber Channelconnection, an IrDA (infrared) port, a SCSI (Small Computer SystemsInterface) connection, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection or otherwired or wireless, digital or analog interface or connection, mesh orDigi® networking.

The management server 620 is preferably implemented in a cloud-computingenvironment. In general, a cloud-based computing environment is aresource that typically combines the computational power of a largegrouping of processors and/or that combines the storage capacity of alarge grouping of computer memories or storage devices. For example,systems that provide a cloud resource may be utilized exclusively bytheir owners, such as Google™ or Yahoo!™; or such systems may beaccessible to outside users who deploy applications within the computinginfrastructure to obtain the benefit of large computational or storageresources. The cloud may be formed, for example, by a network of webservers, with each web server (or at least a plurality thereof)providing processor and/or storage resources. These servers may manageworkloads provided by multiple users (e.g., cloud resource customers orother users). Typically, each user places workload demands upon thecloud that vary in real-time, sometimes dramatically. The nature andextent of these variations typically depend on the type of businessassociated with the user.

In operation, each of the plurality of devices 605-615 can communicatewith the management server 620, with each of the plurality of devices605-615 acting as a node within the network. The management server 620can track metrics about each of the plurality of devices 605-615 bycommunicating with the PCB on each of the plurality of devices 605-615.

In some embodiments, data obtained by the PCB of each of the pluralityof devices 605-615 is selectively gathered, obtained, monitored, stored,recorded, and/or analyzed by the management system 620.

According to some embodiments, data that is selectively gathered,obtained, monitored, stored, recorded, and/or analyzed, preferablycomprises, for example, working time, current, voltage, power, and soforth from, for example, the vacuum motor, lithium-ion battery, tractionmotor, brush motor, and other components of the riding floor cleaningmachine. This data or information is preferably received at the PCB 502(FIG. 18) which may be associated with the lithium-ion batterypositioned in the riding floor cleaning machine 100. That is, the PCB502 controls the operations of each of the components of the device. Asdescribed above, the operational data for each of these components canbe captured and logged by the PCB 502 and stored in memory on the PCB502. In other embodiments, operational data can be stored in memory onthe PCB 502 and transmitted asynchronously in batches (according tomemory size) to the management server 620. In some embodiments, theoperational data can be streamed from the PCB 502 to the managementserver 620 synchronously.

Each device can be managed by assignment of a device ID by themanagement system. The device ID can be an assigned number, a SIM cardnumber, an IMEI, a MAC address, an IP address, or other similar uniqueidentifier. The device ID can be appended to each communicationtransmitted by the PCB 502 to the management server 620.

Stored data or information is preferably analyzed by the managementserver 620 for parameter compliance, and if, necessary such data orinformation is then communicated to, for example, an end user, servicingpersonal, and/or owner. For example, the owner of a riding floorcleaning machine assembly can set a threshold of hours of operation forthe device that are required per week. If the riding floor cleaningmachine assembly is not operated for a period of time that meets orexceeds this threshold, the riding floor cleaning machine assembly isidentified by the management system 620.

The transfer of data with regard to each individual machine will helpend users better plan for number of machines and employees at eachindividual work site. Companies with sizeable cleaning staff, (e.g.,contact cleaning companies) will find it relevant and useful.

In one embodiment the data or information with regard to usage of eachindividual machine is collected and transmitted daily at a specific timeto, for example, the management server. This will allow end users, aswell as, distributors and dealers to access the information that theyneed, so as to monitor usage of these machines and allow them to extractmaximum efficiency during operations. In another embodiment of thepresent invention, other than information for individual days,cumulative totals and averages are readily available too, and theinformation is preferably updated through the lifespan of the ridingfloor cleaning machine assembly. Examples of data or informationuploaded on a daily basis include, for example, the number of hours andspecific time the machine was in operation during the previous 24 hours,the monthly total hours for machine usage, and the total hours ofmachine usage. Furthermore, the present invention enables recording andanalysis of an accumulation total for working parts like batteries,vacuum motors, drive/traction motors and brush motors. Since eachcomponent has a lifespan, it will help distributors, dealers, and ownersselectively monitor the exact time when these components (e.g., vacuummotor, brush motor and batteries) need to be changed instead of waitingfor them to break down, which will affect the working efficiency of theend users. Another important advantage of having this data orinformation transfer is that in the event the machine breaks down,(e.g., the vacuum motor, brush motor, etcetera stops working), what hasbroken down will be selectively transmitted to the appropriate servicingpersonnel by email and/or cell phone text messaging that is/areresponsible for the repairs and maintenance of the machines, managementof the end user, and so forth.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart of an example method of the present technology.The method includes obtaining 702 operational data for a riding floorcleaning machine assembly, the operational data being generated for anyof a battery, a vacuum motor, a drive/traction motor, and a brush motorof the riding floor cleaning machine assembly.

As mentioned above, this operational data can be gathered by a PCB (suchas PCB 502 of FIG. 18) during operation of the riding floor cleaningmachine assembly.

The method also comprises communicatively coupling 704 a riding floorcleaning machine assembly with a management server. As mentioned above,this could comprise a wireless communication module of the PCB 502coupling with the management server over a network connection.

Once the riding floor cleaning machine assembly and the managementserver are communicatively coupled with one another, the method canfurther comprise the management server querying 706 the riding floorcleaning machine assembly for operational data for any of the battery,vacuum motor, traction motor, and brush motor. For example, themanagement server can request battery related operational data from theriding floor cleaning machine assembly. As mentioned above, thisoperational data can be stored on the riding floor cleaning machineassembly in memory of the PCB. In another example, the management servercan request operational data for the vacuum and brush motors.

In another embodiment, the PCB can upload all operational data gatheredsince a last communication session with the management server. Thisoperational data can include operational data for each of the battery,vacuum motor, traction motor, and brush motor.

In some embodiments, the management server is performing 708 at leastone operational data analysis process on the obtained operational data.

Examples of operational data analysis include in one example, comparingthe operational time frames for the riding floor cleaning machineassembly to an expected operational time frame. For example, the ownerof a building will determine an operational time frame that the ridingfloor cleaning machine assembly should be utilized for. This operationaltime frame can be calculated from an expected time based on buildingsquare footage, or any other quantifiable metric that can be used to setan operational time frame threshold. Once this threshold is established,the management server can compare the actual operational time frameutilized over a given period of time to the operational time framethreshold. If the actual time does not meet or exceed the operationaltime frame threshold, the management server can alert the owner.

Thus, in some embodiments, the method includes transmitting 710 an alertmessage to an owner of the riding floor cleaning machine assembly if theoperational analysis indicates that a threshold violating event hasoccurred. To be sure, a threshold violating event is any event in whichoperational data for one or more components of the riding floor cleaningmachine assembly do not appropriately compare with an operationalthreshold.

In another example, an operational threshold could include a minimumcharging time frame for the riding floor cleaning machine assembly. Ifthe riding floor cleaning machine assembly is not charged for anappropriate amount of time, the battery operation of the riding floorcleaning machine assembly can be compromised.

In another example, an operational threshold can be set for the brushmotor, which can include a comparison with another operational metricsuch as total operational time. Assume that the total operational time(e.g., power on to power off) for the riding floor cleaning machineassembly is one hour, but the brush motor is only operational forfifteen minutes of the one hour, it can be deduced that the riding floorcleaning machine assembly was not in actual use for the entire hour.

Additional metrics can be gathered by tracking revolutions of thedrive/traction motor, which can be extrapolated into square footcoverage of the riding floor cleaning machine assembly. Ideally,drive/traction motor revolutions should be compared to overalloperational time to ensure that the riding floor cleaning machineassembly is moving during power on periods. If the riding floor cleaningmachine assembly is left on when no work is being accomplished, this canlead to unnecessary battery usage.

Knowledge of the approximate square footage of a cleaning area can alsobe used to determine if the riding floor cleaning machine assembly isbeing utilized properly. For example, if by counting drive/tractionmotor revolutions that the riding floor cleaning machine assembly hasonly cleaned approximately 400 square feet, when the total expectedsquare footage for the cleaning area is 2,000 square feet, themanagement server can detect this discrepancy and transmit an alertmessage to the owner or another interested party.

FIG. 21 is another flowchart of an example method of the presenttechnology. The method includes a step of detecting 802 a failure of acomponent of a riding floor cleaning machine assembly during operationof the detecting 802 a failure of a component of a riding floor cleaningmachine assembly during operation or startup of the riding floorcleaning machine assembly. For example, the PCB can maintain a set ofoperational thresholds for each component of the riding floor cleaningmachine assembly such as the battery, vacuum motor, drive/tractionmotor, and brush motor. Whenever any of these components is operatingbelow this expected operational threshold, the failure can beestablished.

Upon detection of a failure, the method includes the PCB establishing804 communication with a management server, as well as a step oftransmitting 806 a fault message to the management server. The faultmessage can include an indication as to the component that failed, suchas a battery, vacuum motor, drive/traction motor, and brush motor.

If the failure involves a component of the riding floor cleaning machineassembly that could cause the riding floor cleaning machine assembly tobe a safety hazard, the method can include the riding floor cleaningmachine assembly receiving 808 an emergency shut down signal from themanagement server. The method also includes performing 810 an emergencyshut down upon receiving the emergency shut down signal from themanagement server. Examples of emergency shut down procedures aredescribed in greater detail supra.

In one embodiment, the method includes an optional step of automaticallyordering 812 a replacement part for identified failed component. Theriding floor cleaning machine assembly can communicate directly with athird party system over the network to order the replacement part. Inanother embodiment, the management server can identify the failedcomponent and perform a lookup of the manufacturer of the failedcomponent and forward the request to the third party system or a localinventory system. The management server can order the part automaticallyas the fault message is received. In another example, a replacementcomponent in inventory can be identified in a repair ticket that istransmitted to a repair technician.

In some embodiments, the present invention enables upgrades to thesoftware that end users are using that may address, for example,compatibility issues, or other necessary upgrades. In one embodiment,the management server can push updates to the riding floor cleaningmachine assembly during operational data transfer operations, or uponpowering up the riding floor cleaning machine assembly. For example,each time the riding floor cleaning machine assembly is powered on, thePCB can link with the management server and query the management serverfor updates. This can all occur transparently to the end user, unless ashort pause in operation of the riding floor cleaning machine assemblyis required to implement the update or for safety reasons.

FIG. 22 is a diagrammatic representation of an example machine in theform of a computer system 900, within which a set of instructions forcausing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein may be executed. In various example embodiments, themachine operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g.,networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine mayoperate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in aserver-client network environment, or as a peer machine in apeer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personaldigital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a portable music player(e.g., a portable hard drive audio device such as an Moving PictureExperts Group Audio Layer 3 (MP3) player), a web appliance, a networkrouter, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set ofinstructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be takenby that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated,the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection ofmachines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets)of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein.

The example computer system 900 includes a processor or multipleprocessors 905 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphicsprocessing unit (GPU), or both), and a main memory 910 and static memory915, which communicate with each other via a bus 920. The computersystem 900 may further include a video display 935 (e.g., a liquidcrystal display (LCD)). The computer system 900 may also include analpha-numeric input device(s) 930 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice (e.g., a mouse), a voice recognition or biometric verificationunit (not shown), a drive unit 937 (also referred to as disk driveunit), a signal generation device 940 (e.g., a speaker), and a networkinterface device 945. The computer system 900 may further include a dataencryption module (not shown) to encrypt data.

The disk drive unit 937 includes a computer or machine-readable medium950 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions and datastructures (e.g., instructions 955) embodying or utilizing any one ormore of the methodologies or functions described herein. Theinstructions 955 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 10 and/or within the processors 905 duringexecution thereof by the computer system 900. The main memory 910 andthe processors 905 may also constitute machine-readable media.

The instructions 955 may further be transmitted or received over anetwork via the network interface device 945 utilizing any one of anumber of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., Hyper Text TransferProtocol (HTTP)). While the machine-readable medium 950 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “computer-readablemedium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media(e.g., a centralized or distributed database and/or associated cachesand servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term“computer-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any mediumthat is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructionsfor execution by the machine and that causes the machine to perform anyone or more of the methodologies of the present application, or that iscapable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures utilized by orassociated with such a set of instructions. The term “computer-readablemedium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to,solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media, and carrier wavesignals. Such media may also include, without limitation, hard disks,floppy disks, flash memory cards, digital video disks, random accessmemory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), and the like. The exampleembodiments described herein may be implemented in an operatingenvironment comprising software installed on a computer, in hardware, orin a combination of software and hardware.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the Internet service may beconfigured to provide Internet access to one or more computing devicesthat are coupled to the Internet service, and that the computing devicesmay include one or more processors, buses, memory devices, displaydevices, input/output devices, and the like. Furthermore, those skilledin the art may appreciate that the Internet service may be coupled toone or more databases, repositories, servers, and the like, which may beutilized in order to implement any of the embodiments of the disclosureas described herein.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present technology has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the present technology in the form disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the presenttechnology. Exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order tobest explain the principles of the present technology and its practicalapplication, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art tounderstand the present technology for various embodiments with variousmodifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Aspects of the present technology are described above with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of thepresent technology. It will be understood that each block of theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations ofblocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can beimplemented by computer program instructions. These computer programinstructions may be provided to a processor of a general purposecomputer, special purpose computer, or other programmable dataprocessing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions,which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmabledata processing apparatus, create means for implementing thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The foregoing description merely explains and illustrates the inventionand the invention is not limited thereto except insofar as the appendedclaims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have thedisclosure before them will be able to make modifications withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

1-3. (canceled)
 4. A riding floor cleaning machine having an intelligentsystem, comprising: a main frame sub-assembly; a steering and drivewheel sub-assembly; a solution tank sub-assembly; a recovery tanksub-assembly; a recovery tank cover sub-assembly; a control panelsub-assembly; a main controller sub-assembly; a seat and detergentsystem sub-assembly; a battery sub-assembly; a scrub head sub-assembly;a scrub head lift sub-assembly; a squeegee sub-assembly; a solution anddetergent sub-assembly; and an intelligent system comprising a secondaryelectrochemical cell in electrical communication with a controller,wherein the intelligent system at least one of selectively gathers,obtains, monitors, stores, records, and analyzes data associated withcomponents of the riding floor cleaning machine.
 5. The riding floorcleaning machine according to claim 4, wherein the controllercommunicatively couples the riding floor cleaning machine with amanagement server over a network and transmits data to the managementserver for analysis.
 6. The riding floor cleaning machine according toclaim 4, wherein the intelligent system is capable of transmitting amessage to a management server.
 7. The riding floor cleaning machineaccording to claim 6, wherein the message transmitted by the intelligentsystem includes at least one of hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, andyearly hours of operation of the riding floor cleaning machine.
 8. Theriding floor cleaning machine according to claim 6, wherein the messagetransmitted by the intelligent system includes at least one of hourly,daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly distance traveled by the riding floorcleaning machine.
 9. The riding floor cleaning machine according toclaim 6, wherein the message transmitted by the intelligent systemincludes at least one of hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearlysupply levels for at least one sub-assembly of the riding floor cleaningmachine.
 10. The riding floor cleaning machine according to claim 6,wherein the message transmitted by the intelligent system includes atleast one of hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly hours ofoperation of a motor associated with the riding floor cleaning machine.11. The riding floor cleaning machine according to claim 4, wherein theintelligent system is capable of transmitting a fault message to amanagement server.
 12. The riding floor cleaning machine according toclaim 11, wherein the fault message includes failed part of asub-assembly of the riding floor cleaning machine.
 13. The riding floorcleaning machine according to claim 11, wherein the fault messageincludes a failed battery.
 14. The riding floor cleaning machineaccording to claim 11, wherein the fault message includes a failedvacuum motor.
 15. The riding floor cleaning machine according to claim11, wherein the fault message includes a failed transaxle.
 16. Theriding floor cleaning machine according to claim 11, wherein the faultmessage includes a failed brush motor.
 17. The riding floor cleaningmachine according to claim 4, wherein the intelligent system is capableof transmitting a service interval notice message to a managementserver.
 18. The riding floor cleaning machine according to claim 4,wherein the intelligent system is capable of transmitting a message to athird party via instant message, text and/or electronic mail.
 19. Asub-assembly having an intelligent system for a riding floor cleaningmachine, comprising: a secondary electrochemical cell; and anintelligent system, wherein the intelligent system comprises acontroller, wherein the controller is configured to at least one ofselectively gather, obtain, monitor, store, and record data associatedwith components of the riding floor cleaning machine.
 20. Thesub-assembly according to claim 19, wherein the controllercommunicatively couples the riding floor cleaning machine with amanagement server over a network and transmits data to the managementserver for analysis.
 21. A riding floor cleaning machine having anintelligent system, comprising: a main frame sub-assembly; a steeringand drive wheel sub-assembly; a solution tank sub-assembly; a recoverytank sub-assembly; a recovery tank cover sub-assembly; a control panelsub-assembly; a main controller sub-assembly; a scrub head sub-assembly;and an intelligent system comprising a secondary electrochemical cell inelectrical communication with a controller, wherein the intelligentsystem at least one of selectively gathers, obtains, monitors, stores,records, and analyzes data associated with components of the ridingfloor cleaning machine.